OUTLINE ESSAY (OUMH1203)

Use of social media in screening candidates' profiles during the hiring process.

Introduction

a) What is the hiring process?

Process of reviewing applications, interviewing qualified candidates, testing
candidates, making a hiring decision, and conducting various pre-employment tests
and checks.
b) What is social media?
Computer-based technology enables the exchange of ideas, thoughts, and information
via virtual networks and communities.

Thesis Statement

Employers should be wary of using social media as a basis for background checks and
screening. Social media is an efficient way for potential employers to recruit competent
employees, but it can pose significant disadvantages.

Topic Sentence
1) Advantages
 Social media is an inexpensive means of candidate screening.
 Employers can find out more about potential candidates by monitoring their
social media accounts.
2) Risk
 Discrimination and Bias
 Information on social media is simple to manipulate.
3) Alternatives
 Pre-employment tools

Conclusion
Social media can tell you more about a person - from likes and dislikes to character details. It
can't replace traditionally and trusted background check sources, so keep running other types
of checks on your candidates' social media profiles. There are a few strategies you should
employ no matter which decision you make.

Use of Social Media in Screening Candidates' Profiles during the Hiring Process

Online recruitment has grown in popularity over the last decade, thanks to the advent
of the Internet. Furthermore, the introduction of social media networking sites (SNSs) has
significantly distorted traditional recruitment processes, as employers use these popular sites
to conduct background checks on potential candidates [ CITATION Ivy19 \l 1033 ] . According to
a recent survey, Sandeep Rathore (2020) said that 90% of employers consider social media
necessary when evaluating candidates. Furthermore, 79% of HR professionals have turned
down candidates because of inappropriate social media content. Moreover, social media has
become an unavoidable component of modern life. The term "background check" is
frequently used in an imprecise manner. Within minutes of conducting a simple web search
for a person's name on social media, various details about that person can be discovered,
including photos and information about their marital status, children, race, age, gender,
religion, political affiliation, and hobbies [ CITATION Rob17 \l 1033 ]. Many people post
personal information on social media sites to have friends see it, but employers aren't a part
of that equation. Social Media screenings can yield extensive information about a candidate's
past that is out of reach during the job interview process. Employers frequently have access to
candidates' personal information that is not accessible during the interview process. Social
media screening can yield unexpected insights into a candidate's personality. The hiring
process refers to reviewing applications, interviewing qualified candidates, testing candidates,
making a hiring decision, and conducting various pre-employment tests and checks. While
social media is computer-based, technology enables exchanging ideas, thoughts, and
information via virtual networks and communities. There are numerous different social
networking sites available on the Internet that are entirely free to use. The average person
does not have just one social networking site; each person uses multiple sites daily, including
but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Flickr. On the Internet, there
are hundreds of social media sites where thousands of people post every day. Research
conducted by CareerBuilder in 2018 states that 70% of employers use social networking sites
to research job candidates during the hiring process. Concerns related to ethics, legality, and
privacy are tied to this emerging trend. Half believe that employers should go through the
candidate's social media profiles during the hiring process, while another half do not agree
with this action. So employers find themselves in a difficult position because of this hiring
practice: either using SNSs or facing numerous lawsuits over this practice. Employers should
be wary of using social media as a basis for background checks and screening. Social media
is an efficient way for potential employers to recruit competent employees, but it can pose
significant disadvantages.

Modern organisations have transformed into digitally interconnected and streamlined

networks from traditional time-consuming and tedious manual operations. The most recent
addition to this digitalisation process is the use of social media in various business areas such
as marketing, operations, advertising, communication, etc. Since the early 2000s, social
media has grown in popularity, particularly in human resources. Using social media for hiring
purposes, such as Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter is becoming increasingly popular among
hiring professionals. Employers have traditionally been limited to what candidates include in
their resumes on paper. A resume is a job application document that describes the
qualifications of an applicant. Usually, a resume comes with a customised cover letter that
highlights specific information about the job or company in question [CITATION BLO20 \l
1033 ]. As social media becomes more prominent, employers can better picture candidates'
backgrounds and interests and details about how they conduct themselves in social settings
[CITATION Sum \y \l 1033 ] . Robles (2017) reported that 'there are several approaches to
social media screening: (a) the people directly involved in the hiring decision investigate the
candidate's online presence; (b) an employee with no part in the decision-making process
performs the Social Media screening on the job candidate; or (c) a consumer reporting
agency, a third party, performs the social media screening and reports to the employer'.
Social media has made the job-finding process a whole lot easier for job seekers. It is best to
search through job listings across many websites to find job opportunities specific to a
person's abilities. It is now easier for employers located in locations where the Internet or
social media access cannot search for niche skill sets or seek potential employees. Companies
are utilising social media to inform job seekers about available positions. According to
experts, social media is assisting in bridging the gap between potential candidates and
recruiters. For example, LinkedIn is the web version of business networking. LinkedIn also
provides a free and easy way to network with many people they know for job seekers. For
employers, LinkedIn can help them leverage their networks to find potential candidates for
job openings. It also allows job seekers to follow the news and job postings for their targeted
employers. Numerous of these firms utilise specialised job posting pages that help applicants
in locating positions that interest them. Accordingly, in the era of the corporate social media
web page, conventional job advertisements have been demonstrated to be less effective forms
of advertising than social media pages that carry several benefits. Most job seekers today use
at least one social network to look for jobs. Today, employers are well aware that they can
reach many skilled job seekers through social media.

With the growing popularity of social media, technology provides a platform for the
development of connections between individuals worldwide. Organisations realise social
media's potential in the recruitment and marketing segments. The cost of obtaining
potentially valuable information is meagre in comparison to other methods. Historically,
these businesses have used paid advertising to identify candidates. However, with the nearly
total disappearance of paid advertising, social media has made this unnecessary. Numerous
organisations, including Deloitte, have established an e-recruitment human resources team to
recruit candidates via social media. Suppliers such as Adecco, Manpower, and Randstad offer
cost-effective e-recruitment tools that reach a broader audience. Generally, businesses spend
a sizable portion of their marketing budget on advertising. Integrating social media into
recruitment costs opens up enormous opportunities for cost savings via job boards, job search
engines, and career portals like CareerBuilder, Monster, and Naukri. One potential benefit of
utilising SNS in hiring procedures is that recruiters can verify applicant provided information
from other sources, such as the application or resume, where recruiters "associate
transparency with job applicant screening on online social networks." [ CITATION ElO16 \l
1033 ]. Recruiters can use SNS to assess candidates' "fit" with organisations and their
communication skills and creativity. Additionally, they can use the SNS information to
substantiate qualifications listed in other hiring materials, such as a resume or application
[ CITATION ElO16 \l 1033 ]. Yet, it is nearly impossible to confirm the validity of the
information found on social media sites. A person may create a social media site with specific
viewers in mind, and the site may not be a true reflection of the user's personality.
Information discovered during Internet screening could be misleading or inaccurate.

While social media is an excellent tool for locating and recruiting candidates, the
difficulty arises when the information shared on social media sites is used to target a specific
employee classification [ CITATION Hae20 \l 1033 ]. In that case, there may be legal issues if the
data is used to eliminate a candidate from consideration actively. With data from social
media, the elimination opens the employer to liability, discrimination claims, and regulatory
non-compliance. It is expected that future case law and legislation will clarify the matter.
Because of this, the risk to the company is apparent, and few companies would want to face
any legal action. This risk is significant because organisations should have anti-
discriminatory policies and clarify what can be done with social media information when
hiring. Information about employer use of social media for background checks is hard to
come by at this time. Although it is estimated that the percentage of employers who use
social media for background checks is low, it is believed that the percentage is relatively
small. Employers need to consult with their legal counsel before developing an approach to
the use of social media in hiring. There are at least two categories of competing legal
concerns, which are discrimination and negligent hiring.

Screening candidates on social media can provide a wealth of information, such as

age, ethnicity, religion, health, sexual orientation, and family life. Brodies (2019) highlighted
'this information presents a problem for employers because the Equality Act of 2010 makes it
illegal to discriminate against potential job candidates based on these protected
characteristics'. When a job applicant is treated unfairly or unequally because they belong to
a protected class, this is referred to as discrimination in the hiring process. According to
Acas, screening social media profiles can lead to unconscious bias[ CITATION Bro19 \l 1033 ].
For example, if an employer looks at a candidate's profile and becomes aware of, or has a
perception of, their age or ethnicity, they may unknowingly form a judgement. If that person
is not interviewed and files a discrimination claim, defending the claim becomes more
difficult if their social media profile is viewed. Because the employer was aware of the
candidate's protected characteristic, it could be argued that it influenced the hiring decision,
even if it did not. When reviewing candidates' social media, employers must be especially
cautious of Too Much Information (TMI). Protected characteristics include race, colour,
national origin, religion, gender, disability, age, and citizenship status. So, employers must
exercise extreme caution when conducting employment screening via social media. In
addition, employers must be aware of the dangers associated with social media screening
[ CITATION Pre21 \l 1033 ] . Social media screening identifies red flags and determines whether
a prospective employee is culturally compatible with the organisation. Some may argue that
failing to conduct a social media search constitutes negligence. Employers must be aware of
their duty of proper precautions when making employment decisions. Employers who fail to
perform a reasonable level of pre-employment screening may be held liable for negligent
hiring and retention. Moreover, employers must consider the potential reputational risk of
hiring individuals whose online profiles are readily accessible [ CITATION Pre21 \l 1033 ]. Next,
information on social media is easy to manipulate. The content is typically user-generated
and is frequently curated to reflect the user's desired image. Employers risk making terrible
hiring decisions based on inaccurate information because profiles are easy to manipulate and
spoof. Again, using a third-party provider can add value to the process. Combing through the
social media web takes a tremendous amount of time and expertise. Without the proper
training, Human Resources (HR) department may find itself overwhelmed with a task that
technology and third-party experts can better handle. Preston (2021) emphasised companies
that specialise in social media screening must provide accurate information and typically
have systems to confirm the content is relevant and valid. Keep in mind that if an adverse
decision is based on a social media consumer report, employers must follow pre and final
damaging action processes and federal FCRA notice requirements and any state-specific laws
[ CITATION Pre21 \l 1033 ]. Although social media enables an organisation to recruit the right
candidate and enhance employer branding, there are risks involved in recruitment practices.
By selecting an appropriate channel reduces the dangers to half.

Pre-employment testing and new screening tools can help HR professionals minimise
hiring time and select the most qualified person who best fits the organisation [ CITATION
SHR18 \l 1033 ]. The tests used in the selection process must be legal, reliable, valid and
equitable. Employment tests are typically standardised instruments used to assess a
candidate's abilities, intellect, personality, or other characteristics. However, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) considers any employment requirement
imposed by an employer to be a "test" in and of itself. Employee selection tests are classified
into five broad categories: Aptitude Tests, Achievement Examinations, Situational
Examinations, Interest Examinations and Personality Examinations [ CITATION SHR18 \l 1033 ].
To implement a pre-employment testing process, the employer must first determine which
tests are necessary; then choose or develop a test that adequately assesses the essential
knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs); and finally, monitor test use.
The KSAO is the knowledge, skills, abilities and physical attributes of a job. The KSAOs are
what an employee must possess to perform the job successfully. They include knowledge of
accounting principles, skill sets, and physical abilities. While implementing a good testing
process can be time-consuming, the wealth of information gleaned may be worthwhile. In
other words, selected tests should be convenient, competitively priced, reputable and
accurate. The vendor must be able to demonstrate that its procedures comply with applicable
laws. A vendor's references and accuracy guarantees should be checked before making a final
decision. It is critical for an organisation to continuously monitor the use of any pre-
employment test to support legal compliance. By implementing a tracking process for
procedures and results, including recording the candidates' profile, tests given, and scores
achieved, can help ensure testing procedures are valid over time [ CITATION SHR18 \l 1033 ].
Staying abreast of legal developments in employment testing is also necessary to validate
their continued use. If any adverse impact against a protected group is found when auditing a
selection test, legal counsel should be sought out immediately.

Overall, it is clear that companies are experimenting with new tools such as LinkedIn,
Facebook, and Twitter for recruitment purposes. There is considerable variation in how social
media tools are used for recruitment. Utilisation is determined by various factors, including
size and sector of business and the type of employment sought by the employer. Numerous
organisations are experimenting with these tools, which are still in their infancy and are
progressing through trial and error. Social media screening can be a tremendous asset in
assisting recruiters and hiring teams invalidating a candidate's application. It gives them a
sense of who they are as a person before meeting them.

Additionally, it can assist employers in invalidating an application and identifying a

great hire who will fit into the company culture. However, recruiters must be aware of the
risks associated with doing so. Employers using social media for recruitment purposes can
make cost and time savings. Social media can help organisations target their recruitment
more accurately, present a realistic picture of their workplace, and reach a broader range of
potential candidates. The benefits include increasing brand awareness and two-way
communication. Yet, the reason for hiring should not be based solely on social media. There
are some potential risks and costs associated with the use of social media for recruitment.
There is no guarantee that individuals, or others, post on their SNSs, is accurate. The cost of
dedicating resources to social media sites can be high and unpredictable. The line between
public and private information is frequently blurred in cyberspace, and the issue of fairness
when it comes to social media screening is commonly debated. There are several legal
aspects that employers should consider when using social media tools for recruitment. These
include issues related to employee privacy, equality and diversity. There are also issues
around the depth of the applicant pool that social media sites can access. This could give rise
to potential problems around diversity and discrimination. In other words, social media can
tell you more about a person - from likes and dislikes to character details. Furthermore, social
media can target specific groups of people, particularly in the case of senior jobs. Social
media tools are usually used in combination with more traditional recruitment strategies
rather than substituting for these. So, using social media for recruitment is not a substitute for
conventional recruitment techniques.

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